Forbidden Light (The Two Hunters Book 2)

by Kara Jaynes

  He didn't want to budge, but I shoved by him anyway, and the people in front of him, my mood souring with every step I took. Glacia was in there; I could sense her presence, sure as dawn.

  The inn was packed, shoulder to shoulder, everybody clamoring at once. I still couldn't see Glacia or Taloos, but I knew they were here.

  The innkeeper walked by, roaring at people to let him by, his arms laden with a huge serving tray. I slipped behind him and followed, taking advantage of the space where everyone backed away to let him walk.

  He led me to my quarry. Taloos was seated at a table, looking as regal as a king, stuffing his face with turkey legs and grapes. Glacia sat beside him, her food untouched, a small worried wrinkle on her pale brow. The knot of anxiety that sat in my stomach loosened. She was safe.

  When she saw me, her face lit up, all worry gone. She'd been fretting about me, too. The thought pleased me.

  “Ah. Silvan.” Taloos gestured at me with an imperious wave of his hand. “Sit, man, sit.”

  I remained standing, glaring down at him. “What are you doing?”

  “Taloos finished chewing and, after an exaggerated swallow, arched an eyebrow at me. “I'm eating.”

  I inhaled slowly, trying to keep my anger down to an annoyance. “What did you do with the rats?”

  “Oh. That.” He shrugged, and dug into a fresh turkey leg. “I merely sent them packing. This inn is rat-free. Food and board are our payment.” He gestured again. “Come on, sit. I'll tell you all about it.”

  Glacia picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth. I sat, if only to keep intact the peaceful mood that had fallen over her. Why had she been so worried? I was more than capable of taking care of myself. Maybe she'd been concerned about her own safety. I could believe it, with all these rough men about.

  Watching her, I suddenly realized it was because she had worried that I wasn’t coming back for her.

  I continued to watch her closely, only half-listening to Taloos as he gave me an elaborate description of their day, around mouthfuls of poultry. The crowd fell silent, hanging on his every word.

  “It was no problem at all,” Taloos finished, sitting back with a satisfied sigh. “I suspect I could rid the whole city of rats, if I wanted to.”

  A cheer went up from the press of people.

  “For a price,” Taloos finished.

  Some groans sounded in the crowd.

  Taloos shrugged, unconcerned. “A man has to make a living.”

  Glacia shoved her plate in my direction. “Eat, Silvan. You look hungry.”

  I glowered down at the food. How could she know I was hungry? The scent of roast turkey reached my nostrils, and my stomach roared in response. I was hungry. Lifting a greasy turkey leg, I took a bite, eyes half-closing in satisfaction at the combination of juicy meat and seasonings.

  Glacia smiled, pleased at my reaction. She reached over to my plate and took another grape. “Looks like these grow over here, too.”

  I nodded, ignoring the sting of homesickness. I didn't need that feeling right now. Glacia didn't need it.

  My mood improved substantially after two more heaping platefuls of food, and I finally pushed my chair back, feeling sleepy. I supposed eating the amount of turkey I had would cause that effect.

  “Well, this has all been very grand,” Taloos said, looking slightly ill, “but it's definitely bedtime for us.” He stifled a belch. “I think I ate too much.”

  “Are you going to defeat Elymas for us?” someone shouted from the doorway, and a collective gasp went up from the crowd.

  Taloos paused mid-stretch. “Who's Elymas?”

  The crowd dissipated immediately, several people proclaiming loudly that they had to get an early start on work in the morning, leaving us alone.

  Taloos and Glacia exchanged looks with me. “What just happened?” asked the beast tamer.

  “You said the wrong thing,” I replied curtly. I arched a silver eyebrow. “Mage rule number one: never show your ignorance.”

  “Oh.” Taloos’s shoulders drooped. “Yeah, you're right. I didn't think about that.”

  I almost felt bad, until Glacia patted him on the head, and my jealousy returned. “It's all right,” she said. “I didn't see anything wrong with what you said. Whoever this Elymas is, I'm sure we'll figure it out soon enough.”

  “Be careful what you say about him, and to whom.” The innkeeper bustled over to take our plates. “He’ll curse you, or you could just disappear. That’s happened to more than one resident of Stagfort.”

  “Why is he here?” I asked. Something strange was going on. “Is he the one behind the rats and fog?”

  The innkeeper grimaced. “Without a doubt. But you didn’t hear that from me. Please, don’t talk about him while in my inn. I have a reputation to uphold, and a business to run.” He bustled into the back room.

  “Something weird’s going on,” Taloos said, his nose wrinkled.

  “We'll figure it out later,” I said, standing. “It's been a long day, and we need to get some rest.” I had initially wanted to leave immediately, but the threat of rats wasn't much of a problem with the beast tamer around.

  Taloos and I took one room, and Glacia took the other. I watched her disappear into her room with some anxiety, until I reminded myself that she’d slept without me there to guard her, for most of her life.

  Except most of her life, she wasn't under the threat of seven headed dragons, ravenous wolves, or trolls.

  I exhaled through my mouth, and followed Taloos to our room. If I was honest with myself, the type of isolation Glacia had endured through her childhood was just as harmful in its own way than the physical threats she'd faced thus far.

  I saw the lingering effects of it every time I told her I needed to hunt or scout: the rising panic in her gaze, the way she clenched her hands.

  She was afraid I'd abandon her, too, just like parents, her people.

  “One bed.” Taloos’s laugh came out as a snort through his nose. “That's awkward.”

  I shrugged. “Not a problem. Just stay on your side, and I won't have to kill you.”

  Taloos scrunched his face in disgust, and slipped his pack off his shoulder. “Well, at any rate, we won't go hungry.” His expression changed to one of pride. “I should have come here long ago. I’ll bet I can rid this whole city of rats. I'll be rich.”

  “Good for you.”

  “What about you, Silvan? What are you going to do for work?”

  “I don't know yet.” I didn't. But I did plan to check with the city guard, to see if there were any brigands on the trade routes who needed disposing of. Or I could work on the river, unloading cargo from the barges. Or perhaps I could hire my services out to an upper-class family who wanted extra protection.

  I glowered darkly down at my hands. Nothing as flashy as what Taloos had managed. I didn't care, but did Glacia? That would bother me very much, even though it shouldn't.

  I went to check on her after Taloos had fallen asleep, the beast tamer snoring softly.

  Padding down the hallway, I paused in front of her door, light flooding from beneath, wondering if I should knock. Perhaps she'd think I was one of the ruffians from downstairs. I opted for rapping my knuckles on the door lightly, and then opened the door a little. “It's me,” I said in a loud whisper.

  “Come in.”

  She was seated on the edge of her bed, running her fingers through her hair. “Can you help?” she asked. “Some of these tangles are too much.”

  She was still fully dressed. I felt a mixture of relief and disappointment by the fact as I crossed the room to sit with her. Mostly relief, I told myself firmly.

  Her hair shone in the lamplight like spun gold. I lifted my fingers and began to run them gently through, careful not to yank any of the tangles.

  Her hair was quite matted, but I found I didn't mind, my gaze mesmerized as knotted golden threads loosened. I was unaware of time passing. The only hint was Glacia pulling herself closer, al
most on my lap, so that she could rest her head on my chest. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed.

  Mine quickened.

  Time to go. I tucked her into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She shifted, whimpering in her sleep. She looked so alone, so fragile. Maybe I should stay.

  I shook my head. No.

  I snuffed out her light and left the room, closing the door silently behind me.

  5

  Glacia

  The next morning, I woke up happy.

  Silvan came back yesterday. It had to be my imagination, but I’d known he was close by before I even saw him in the crowded common room. And now, if I closed my eyes. I could imagine Silvan striding to my door right now. Eyes closed, I waited, reveling in my little daydream.

  When someone knocked, my eyes flew open, startled. “Come in.”

  It was Silvan. His silver hair was tousled from sleep, but his face and posture indicated he'd been awake longer than I had. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Very.”

  “Great.” He looked embarrassed. Why? He jerked his head in the direction of the door. “Come downstairs and eat. After breakfast, we'll look for a library. There may be books on magic there.”

  “All right.” Breakfast was burnt sausage and thin circles of fried batter that Taloos called pancakes. I ate quickly, my face heating when I caught Silvan watching me. I always felt self-conscious when he watched me eat.

  After breakfast, we left the inn. The city of Stagfort was just as busy and crowded as the day before, but this time there was a hum of expectancy and excitement that seemed to follow us wherever we went.

  It was Taloos. Everyone wanted to get a glimpse of the beast tamer.

  He walked with us, his chest puffed up like one of the roosters in his old village, smiling and nodding amiably to people as we passed.

  “It's the piper!” A large, broad shouldered woman pushed through the crowd, planting herself firmly in front of Taloos. “You.” She pointed a meaty finger at him. “My home is overrun with rats. I need your help right away.”

  “So is mine!” several voices from the crowd shouted.

  The huge woman grabbed Taloos by the arm and began to tug him along, walking down a side passage off the main street. I hurried to catch up, frowning over my shoulder at the amused grin on Silvan's face.

  “I can walk, woman,” Taloos said, a note of irritation creeping into his voice.

  The woman released him with a sour grunt, eyeing him suspiciously as if she expected him to turn tail and run.

  “Do you have cats, my lady?” Taloos asked.

  The woman snorted. “My name is Sprat. Belinda Sprat. And yes, I have cats, but they're useless, the mangy beasts. How can they be so scrawny with so many rats around?”

  She led us down a second street and two alleys before coming to a small house. The woman marched up to the door, and Taloos turned to me. “Why don’t you go and enjoy yourselves? See some of the city sights. I plan to clear out, right quick, after this is done.”

  Silvan’s fingers clamped around my upper arm. “Let’s go.”

  “We’re going to the library,” I called to Taloos, before following Silvan.

  A man appeared in the doorway, undoubtedly Mr. Sprat, as thin as his wife was wide. He and Taloos began conversing as Silvan and I turned a corner, back in the busy streets of Stagfort.

  Silvan wove through the crowds like a fish through water, and I focused on keeping up, stumbling a few times when I got jostled by the press of people. And rodents. I grimaced, watching where I stepped.

  I lost track of time, my full attention on rats as we walked.

  “Ah. Here’s one.” Silvan paused, and I bumped into him.

  “Sorry,” I muttered. I looked up at the building Silvan was studying. It was large, with a couple of statues out front depicting a man and a woman, each holding a book.

  “The library.” Silvan sprinted up the steps. “For you. Let’s take a look.”

  I followed him into the entry, which unsurprisingly smelled like old paper and books. Silvan inhaled deeply, closing his eyes.

  “This library is not open to the public,” a voice drawled. A thin, pinched faced man peered at us over his desk.

  “Who is it open to?” Silvan asked.

  “Those with money.” The man sniffed. “Or with express permission from the Lord Dubauer.”

  A familiar scurrying sound rustled in the corner. Silvan and I exchanged glances. “What if we could get rid of your rat problem?” Silvan said. “Just think. No more chewed papers, or rodent droppings underfoot.”

  “You mean the beast tamer.” Silvan and I turned to look for the source of the new voice. An older woman stood in a doorway at the far side of the room. Her dark gray hair was piled up in a messy bun, and her dress was wrinkled, but she smiled kindly at me. “You are his friends.”

  “‘Friend’ is a bit of a stretch,” Silvan muttered under his breath as he looked at the floor, but I nodded.

  “Yes, we’re his friends.”

  The woman studied us. “A girl with slumbering potential, and a dragonblessed. My, my, this is quite the honor.”

  Silvan’s head snapped up to look at her, his brilliant blue eyes wide with incredulity. “How do you know about me?”

  The woman laughed, the sound warm and gentle, and I smiled back, feeling any apprehension melting away, like honey off a spoon. “Your hair, young one. Only the dragonblessed or the elderly have hair your color. And you are certainly not old.”

  “Who are you?” Silvan tried to sound casual, but I could see his body was tensed, ready to spring into action. What he planned to do was anyone’s guess.

  “I’m the librarian,” the woman said with a laugh. “And it’s my job to know everything.” She winked at me good-naturedly, and then motioned us to follow her. “Please, come inside.” She addressed the clerk at his desk. “They are both welcome to come here, whenever they like.” She turned back to Silvan. “But if you don’t mind bringing your beast tamer friend as soon as possible, I would very much appreciate it. I fear these rats won’t leave until there isn’t a book left to gnaw on.”

  Silvan glanced between me and the door. He obviously wanted access to the library, and the fastest way he could do that was get rid of the rats. But he was worried to leave me alone. I waved a hand at him. “Go. Find Taloos. I’ll be fine.”

  Silvan nodded briefly and ran off.

  “There is a boy with suppressed and conflicting emotions,” the woman said. “He’s going to explode if he can’t find a way to sort through them.” She sighed. “Ah, to be young and in love again.”

  I eyed her quizzically. “Silvan isn’t in love. He’s an Elite.” I paused, trying to swallow my disappointment before she read it. “He’s forbidden to love.”

  Pity was in her gaze as the librarian watched me. “That makes the poor boy all the more confused. How could something that feels so right, be wrong?”

  We stared at each other, silent after that, and it was a struggle to keep emotion from my face as raw hope surged in my heart. Did Silvan love me? I knew he cared about me, but that wasn't the same as—

  “I’m back.” Silvan’s voice broke in, sounding breathless as he barged through the front door. Taloos followed, looking annoyed. “All I’ve done today is play music for rats,” he said grumpily. “This is my last job for the day, not to mention I haven’t been paid for any of my work. A few coppers from that Sprat lady doesn't count.”

  The woman chuckled. “Do it with the knowledge that you are rendering a great service to society. We are nothing without our books, young man.”

  Taloos’s gaze turned calculating as he suddenly realized where he was and who he was talking to. “Tell you what: I’ll get rid of the rats, if you teach me how to read. Glacia’s been an abysmal teacher.”

  “Deal.”

  “Hey,” I broke in, “that’s a little unfair. I have tried. You just picked complicated books to bring from Jett
’s home.”

  “My name is Sonia,” the woman said. She smiled, her eyes creasing at the corners. “You are all welcome here, especially you.” She pointed to me.

  “Why me?” I asked.

  She smiled knowingly.

  Silvan’s eyes widened. “Her magic is sleeping, then, isn’t it?”

  Sonia nodded. “I believe so. And if anything can wake it, it’ll be a solid foundation of arcane knowledge. A study of magic.”

  I could learn magic. Silvan had tried to teach me, but I couldn’t even begin to sense my ability when we practiced together. Silvan could summon lights, smoke, wind, even fire, but it looked like he plucked them from thin air.

  I inclined my head toward the old librarian. “I would be honored to study here.”

  As the woman guided me deeper into the library, my heart soared at the sight of all the stacks and mountains of books kept here. Between Silvan’s instruction and study, I was sure to figure out how to wield enchantment.

  6

  Silvan

  We'd been in the city for several days before I found the time to look for work. I had tried to help Glacia with her study, but, try as she might, she hadn't progressed. I didn't know what else to do.

  I approached the barracks, feeling a thrill of nervous anticipation. I hoped to get a job here.

  Taloos spent most of his time at the library, same as Glacia; only he was there to practice reading. He apparently wasn’t thinking much about money right now. Since cleaning the Gray Goose of rats, innkeepers from all over the city begged him to stay at their establishments. Dancing girls asked him with a wink if he would come to the taverns where they worked. Taloos was a loyal sort, though, and had decided to stay at the Gray Goose. The innkeeper was more than happy to keep us there for free. By simply having the beast tamer there, he more than tripled his profits every night. That took off the stress of finding and paying for a place to stay.

  However, I did need to find work. We couldn’t live at the Gray Goose forever. We also needed proper clothing for the coming winter.